The present invention relates to a power window device for opening and closing a window of a vehicle, for example, a motor car. More particularly, the invention relates to a structure for guiding a wire to move a window glass for opening ana closing a window.
In a general power window device, a window glass vertically moved by a drive source, such as a motor, for opening and closing a window. The construction of a conventional power window device is shown in FIG. 5. A rail extends vertically in the car body under the window. A slider 2 is supported by the rail 1 in a state such that the slider is slidable along the rail 1. A wire 3 is connected to the slider 2, with one end part thereof extending upward from the upper side of the slider 2 and the other end part extending downward from the lower side thereof. The wire 3 passes around pulleys 4 located at the top and the bottom of the rail 1, and is coupled to a power window drive section 5. A motor 6 (drive source) is provided in the power window drive section 5. The motor 6, when driven, turns a drive pulley 7 rotatably mounted in the power window drive section 5. When the drive pulley 7 is turned, the wire 3, wound around the drive pulley 7, pulls the slider 2 up or down. A window glass 8 is mounted on the slider 2. The window 8 is vertically moved together with the slider 2 to open and close a window space defined by a sash (window frame), not shown. Outer tubes 9 for guiding the wires 3 are provided between the power window drive section 5 and the top pulley 4, and between the same and the bottom pulley 4.
The power window device thus constructed uses a guide for guiding the wires coupled to the power window drive section. An example of the wire guide will be described.
As shown in FIG. 6, a wire guide 30 having a pair of tubular guides 31 and 32, which diverge from a common point at a given guide angle, is made of resin. The wire guide 30 is fastened around the tubular portion 33 of a case accommodating the drive pulley 7 so that the pair of tubular guides 31 and 32 extend in the tangential direction of the drive pulley 7. With provision of the wire guide 30, the wire 3 wound around the drive pulley 7 is inserted into the pair of tubular guides 31 and 32. The pair of tubular guides 31 and 32 determine the course of the wire 3 to the drive pulley 7 so as to secure smooth driving of the wire.
However, in the thus-constructed wire guide, the paired tubular guides and the wire guide are constructed in a one-piece construction. Thus, if the guide angle of the wire to the drive pulley is changed, the wire guide cannot flexibly accept the changed guide angle.
An example in which the power window drive section 5 must be mounted at a location different from that of the rail 1 shown in FIG. 5 and is illustrated in detail FIG. 7. As shown, in a first type of car the wire guide is mounted on the rail 1 as indicated by a solid line, while in a second type of car it must be mounted as indicated by a two-dot chain line. Thus, the angle of the wire extending in the tangential direction of the pulleys 4 (FIG. 5) located at the top and bottom must be changed.
In this example, a wire guide having a wire guide angle .theta..sub.2 must be used, although the wire guide angle of the wire guide for the first type of car is .theta..sub.1. Accordingly, the whole wire guide must be replaced with another one. That is, different types of wire guides having respective different guide angles, which are in conformity with different standards of various car models equipped with power window devices, must be manufactured. Therefore, a corresponding number of molds for manufacturing the wire guides is required. The size of the required mold is large since the whole wire guide must be molded in a one-piece construction. Such a mold is very expensive, so that the cost to manufacture is remarkably high.